His Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia Meets Russian Muslim Leaders

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia met Russian Muslim Leaders in his official residence in St Daniel’s Monastery on 20 September 2006.

Among those who took part in the meeting there were the supreme mufti of the Central Muslim Board of Russia Sheikh Talgat Tajuddin, the president of the Council of Muftis in Russia Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin, the president of the North Caucasus Muslim Coordination Centre Mufti Ismail Berdiev, the mufti of Tatarstan Gusman Iskhakov, the coordinating secretary of the Inter-Religious Council of the CIS A. Aliev, the vice-chairman of the President of the Russian Federation Directorate for Internal Policy’s department for humanitarian policy and public relations A. Kudriavtsev, the vice-chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, the dean of St Daniel’s Monastery Archimandrite Luka Pinayev, the DECR MP staff member G. Roschin.

One of the main agenda points was the aggravation of the world’s inter-religious situation as well as recent events in Karelia.

‘We must jointly oppose inter-ethnic hatred that rises in different regions. The very fact of our meeting should become a peacemaking factor. The people are accustomed to the fact that if their religious leaders meet in a brotherly atmosphere, the believers also should follow their example,’ – His Holiness said.

Violence is intolerable in relations between people, the Russian Orthodox primate underlined.

‘Pogroms is no way to solve any problems. Russia has always demonstrated ages-old inter-religious and inter-ethnic peace. We as religious leaders must urge our peoples and communities to totally abandon any sort of violence as well as hatred, insulting and mutual abuse, ’ – His Holiness noted.

‘Religions are not in a conflict, and it is religious leaders’ duty to calm our citizen and to forbid inter-religious and inter-ethnic clash, ’ – Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin replied.

‘Our good relations have formed over centuries and we are just maintaining the radiations which were created in our ancestors’ times,’ – Sheikh Talgat Tajuddin added.

The meeting participants expressed their assurance that modern conflicts, which are said to arise out of religion, in fact have nothing to do with it. They are political in their nature and are provoked to serve the interests of some people.

‘We should to firmly oppose those who try to unleash war and violence between faith communities. It is our everyday duty to denounce that,’ – the Patriarch said.

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy also thanked the Muslim leaders for taking part in the inter-religious summit in Moscow 3-6 June 2006. The participants of the meeting expressed their hope for further development of constructive relationships between the Russian Orthodox Church and representatives of Russian Muslim communities.